The present invention relates to improvements to electric starters generally used for starting engines of motor vehicles. Such starters embody a pinion which is driven by the motor of the starter and the function of this pinion is to drive a flywheel or other gear wheel on the engine. The movement of the pinion shaft of such a device is frequently controlled by a rocker lever, one of the fork-shaped ends of which co-operates with the said pinion shaft, while its other end is associated with a solenoid switch.